Saturday, December 27, 2008

In this picture you can see my wonderful collection of new canvases and tons of new brushes. I just finished working on the commission with the new brushes and uh.... what a difference. My well worn brushes, with rusted metal, paint saturated, chipping wood and mangled hair have done me good, but it's time for retirement and specific assignments (raw texture/strokes). I just busted into a package of 6 x 12 canvases I got from my cousin and my parents also got me some larger canvases, including an oval which should be fun!

The ball jar in the picture was a gift from my grandfather. All five grandkids got to pick one. They were used by my grandfather's mother and grandmother so they go way back. I'll be proudly displaying this Ball jar - don't worry, it will NOT become a water vessel for painting or even a storage for used brushes! I loooove the blue Ball jars and used them in our wedding for table bouquets so I really cherish this gift.

Now it's off to paint! I'm feeling just like I did as a kid the day after Christmas digging into all of my new art supplies that family (and Santa) gave me. Yipee! Oh! I forgot one more supply. A new batch of oil pastels. Ahhh.... so nice. My old ones were getting down to nubs. 36 new clean colors to play with. What joy!

Friday, December 26, 2008

I hope everyone had a lovely holiday! I'm recuperating after a 48 hour bonanza - wow a real night of full sleep sure felt great! My wonderful family gave me lots of fresh new art supplies (thank you!) and I'm so excited to get back to work - but today I'm taking it nice and easy and enjoying the glow of the tree and a warm cup of tea. Hope everyone had a great time and you're able to relax a bit after all of the excitement.

Friday, December 19, 2008

Just came back in from my second pass at shoveling and the snow just keeps on coming! I don't mind, I love this light and fluffy snow (though I want everyone to be careful on the roads and I'll be very happy once my husband is home safe and sound). Leo (above) LOVES snow too. I took this goofy shot this afternoon. He was barking at me to throw his stick. That was my afternoon. Shovel, toss the stick, shovel, pet Leo "good boy" and toss again. He's my baby and I love him so much for keeping me company with his love and goofy antics.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

With my other commission "finished" (really just waiting for customer approval and reaction - some colors may be tweaked around a bit) I was able to begin and finish this little painting for my friend's son! It went fast because it was just too much fun to paint. I kept hurrying the drying time on each layer because I wanted to keep going. I love when you have an idea for a painting and it clicks just the way you want it to! All of the sides have this striped pattern.

Enter to win this original work of art simply by leaving a comment! Contest ends December 29th at which point I will take all of your names/emails and put them in a basket and select one at random to be the winner. I will contact the winner via email or a comment on their blog. So anyone can vote - just leave some way for me to contact you. Good luck!

THE QUIZ

Have you ever purchased original art online? Y/N

Have you ever purchased art prints (reproductions) online? Y/N

If you answered no to questions 1 or 2, have you ever purchased either in a shop or gallery in person? Y/N

When you are considering purchasing art what sizes do you usually look for?a. Miniature, ACEOb. Small 5" x 7" - 9" x 12"c. Medium 8" x 10" - 16" x 20"d. Large 20" x 24" - 36" x 40"e. Extra Large 40" and higherf. All of the above or your own alternate answer

When you are considering purchasing art what subject matters interest you?a. Abstractb. Figurativec. Landscaped. Still Livese. All of the above or your own alternate answer

When you are considering purchasing art what mediums do you usually look for?a. Ink or pencilb. Oil paintc. Acrylic paintd. Watercolor painte. Collagef. Digital mediag. All of the above or your own alternate answer

On a scale of one to ten, how much or little are you interested in the following art forms or styles?Abstract ArtTraditional RealismContemporary RealismDark ArtFantasy ArtGraffiti ArtKitch/Vintage Influenced ArtFolk ArtSurreal ArtChildren's Art (made by children)Art for ChildrenOutsider Art(Please feel free to add any other styles in your answer that interest you)

When you are considering purchasing art, what are you looking for when it comes to the surface? Please rate each on a scale of one to ten, ten being the most desirable.Paper (any kind)Watercolor paperWoodStandard canvas with staples in the sidesGallery wrapped canvasGallery wrapped canvas with 1.5" deep sidesCustom framed art with mat and glassCustom framed canvas (no mat or glass)Recycled materialsOther

How important is a Certificate of Authenticity?a. Very importantb. Don't care either wayc. It's a waste of paperd. What's a Certificate of Authenticity?

If you were to purchase original art online, where might you go looking to buy? Please answer Yes, No or never heard of it (which you could mark with a ?) to each of the sites below.a. Etsyb. eBayc. Dawandad. ArtFiree. Boundless Galleryf. Yessyg. MySpacef. Other (please include any other sites you would consider)

Would you consider purchasing art directly from an artist's website or blog?a. Yes, I prefer that to purchasing it on another site (like Etsy).b. Yes, but I prefer buying through other sites (like Etsy).c. No

Would you ever consider asking an artist to create a commission (custom work of art) for you?a. Yes and I have!b. Yes and I will at some point.c. Yes but I don't think I will because I'm concerned about ______. (fill in the blank)d. Noe. No and artists that offer that service turn me off as a collector

On a scale of one to ten, how important are these factors when considering purchasing from an artist online?Professional experienceEducational experienceLongevity of careerA history of showing in physical galleriesWord of mouth/buzzProfessionalism in presentationSilliness/light hearted approach to presentation/writingGood photography skillsGood writing skillsExtensive descriptions of artPersonal anecdotes, poems, or artist's thoughts about individual piecesLarge amount of previous salesHigh feedback ratingSeeing a photograph of the artistA return policyFirst class shippingPriority mail shippingInsurance on shippingDelivery Confirmation on shippingAgeGender

Which answer sounds the most like you?a. I like to buy art from as many different artists as I can.b. I like to buy art from a very select few of my favorite artists.c. There isn't much rhyme or reason to how I buy art or from whom. I just fall in love with something and have to have it!d. I like to buy art from people I know.e. I don't buy art.f. Other

If you purchased art, what would be the biggest turn offs to you as a buyer? You can pick just one or rate these from one to ten - ten being the biggest turnoff.Poorly wrapped/packaged and arrived damaged.Long shipping time.No communication.Pet hairs.Smells of smoke.Smells of perfume or incense.Colors don't look the same way they did on the computer.Unsigned art.No personalized thank you note.No extra gifts.Promotional materials from other Etsy sellers (not the one you purchased from).Religious materials included.Candy or food products included in non food purchase.Scented extra gifts (like soap or candle) in a scent free purchase (such as a tshirt).Poorly crafted product.

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer these questions! To make commenting/answering easier, just copy and paste the quiz into your comment.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Friday, December 12, 2008

It's raining now, but we got our first snow recently and got to see the neighborhood wild turkeys strolling through our neighbor's front yard across the street. This isn't a rare sight, but it's not often that I have my camera on hand to capture them before they mosey on.

Tonight I tried my hand at a recipe for Coq Au Vin I found on www.allrecipies.com. I love that site because you can just type in the ingredients you have on hand in the search engine. I typed in chicken breasts, carrots and onions and I happened to be intrigued by this one. Of course I was familiar with the name of the dish and when I saw the recipe called for pearl onions (which I have two bags of) I had to try it. I don't know how many of you out there enjoy these savory little onions, but I really love them just boiled, let alone roasted with other veggies and/or meat. Anyway, this is really an adaptation on the real recipie, and I tweaked things a bit given what I had on hand. I'll include how I cooked the side of potatoes as I think this was a good compliment to the main dish.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

Boneless chicken breasts

Potatoes

Bacon

Thyme

Red wine

Pearl onions

Carrots

Yellow onions

Chicken stock

Black pepper (salt to taste)

Flour

Garlic

Bay leaf

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Bring chicken stock to a boil in a pot and add peeled and diced potatoes.

Cook a few strips of bacon till it's nice and crisy in a frying pan. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and place on a plate with paper towels to absorb the grease. Chop up the bacon to use later.

Remove most of the bacon grease from the pan except for about two tablespoon.

Chop yellow onion and add to frying pan with grease until golden yellow.

Drain potatoes when they are still firm but slightly tender.

Add potatoes and some of the chopped up bacon bits to the pan and fry. I added a little butter too (as you can already tell, I don't really cook diet food, at least not in the winter!)

Cover and cook on a low heat, checking and stirring often until potatoes are tender all the way through.

Spray another large skillet with cooking oil and add four chicken breasts. Cook on medium heat browning both sides of the meat.

Peel and cut carrots into thin slices - about two/three cups.

Peel pearl onions and cut off the ends - about 16 onions.

Mince about two cloves of garlic (or more if you love it like I do).

Once chicken has browned on both sides, add 1.5 cups of red wine, minced garlic, pearl onions, carrots, a few tbls of bacon bits, one bay leaf, a sprinkling of thyme and black pepper and bring to a boil.

Once it has reached a boil, cover and bring the heat down to low to simmer for about 25 minutes.

Check the meat to make sure it's done, and if it is, remove the meat and veggies from the pan with a slotted spoon onto another dish.

Remove the bay leaf from the juice remaining in the pan.

Wisk together 1/4 cup of flour with 1.5 cups of cold water in a seperate bowl.

Add flour/water mixture to the juices in the pan and cook on a low/medium heat stirring/whisking the mixture continuously until the mixture thickens to a good gravy.

I served the potatoes on the side, but on second thought I think it would be good to serve the chicken and veggies on top of the potatoes with gravy ladeled over the entire dish.

This is comfort food at it's best, my friends. You'll notice I'm not exact with amounts - most of this will be to YOUR taste. My husband doesn't like mushrooms so I didn't include them, but they are a traditional (and perfect) addition to this dish.

Monday, December 08, 2008

Because my art idol Mary Ann Wakeley sent me this stunning original painting! I am looking at it right now and my heart is still pounding. It is hanging in our living room where I can gaze at it from our computer desk. I can't thank you enough Mary Ann - you are a wonderful person and truly a modern master!

Thursday, December 04, 2008

COMMISSIONSI've got a new commission project to get started on that I'm very excited about. I created a deposit listing for the project on Etsy (since that is where the customer found me and contacted me) and it inspired me to create a general commission listing to give other folks an idea of how it works and my pricing. No bites yet, but I only have one size listed so far. I'm going to add some more sizes today. You can see them in my Commission section of my Etsy shop at www.livefunky.etsy.com.

WORLD OF IMAGINATION VOL. 2I also signed on to do a show in 2009 at the APW Gallery in NYC. I've never worked with this gallery before, but the idea for the show grabbed me. You pay $50 to submit 5 works on 12" x 12" canvas. There is no other restriction besides the size. I don't live too far away from the city, so I plan on going to the show on opening night. If you are interested in participating, visit http://apwarts.com/worldofimagination.html. (You can ship your artwork there if you live far away from NYC). If you sign up for the show, let me know!

ILLUSTRATION STATIONI re-opened my Etsy shop at www.illustrationstation.etsy.com. I didn't like the look of my illustration prints in my livefunky shop because they just didn't visually groove with my other artwork. I only have one section right now for Figurative Illustrations, I hope to add more to the shop, including abstracts and art for kids.

ART ADVICEI'm considering offering art advice online for anyone that would like a little guidance or suggestions for their artwork. I've found that through the years I really love helping other artists and offering suggestions for different directions they could take their work. I'm not exactly an expert in my field, but I do have a good deal of experience working in multiple mediums and styles, and I've taught art lessons to adults and children in the past. I like the idea of working one on one with anyone that would like to develop their artwork. I can also offer advice about marketing their art online. What do you think?

THINKING BIGI am really excited to start stretching large canvases to offer in my Boundless Gallery shop. www.JessicaTorrant.boundlessgallery.com. I need to take a trip to the art supply store STAT! Hopefully I'll have some big boys to share with you in early 2009.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

I purchased this wonderful handmade paper by http://www.ClaudiasCreations.etsy.com. It has a great thickness that can absorb a lot of paint and becomes a bit pliable when it's wet, behaving more like canvas. I love the texture and I'm eager to keep experimenting with it.

I've been out of commission this week because I've had a terrible cold. The good news is I feel like the worst has passed and I'm on my way to being all better. I had the best dream about painting last night - I am so ready to get back to work! Well, today I didn't feel like my head was going to explode so I listed these paintings I made last week and relisted some prints in my Etsy shop. I decided to give them another go after my brief hiatus. They may not sell as well as my originals (which is FINE with me!) but I might as well include them as an option for buyers.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

This brand new painting is a reaction to feeling inspired to offer what I can to the causes that I care about. One cause that means a great deal to me is keeping our Mother Earth healthy for all. Preserving our rainforests is so important because they are the lungs of our planet. Without them, we could not perform the most basic act of life, breathing in and out. We think we are superior to this great planet we live on and that is a shame, and it's showing. If we all do the little bit we can to restore reverence for our natural resources that we depend on, I think we might just be able to turn this ship around.

The title for this dreamy abstract actually came from my dream last night. It was probably the most lucid dream I've ever had and seemed so very real, I honestly spent the day questioning if I had just returned from some astral traveling or just a very deep REM sleep. Something clicked when I painted this today and I know I was infulenced by the lingering buzz of my dream journey.

...It's that time of year again, folks. The art I'll be creating from now until spring will be from the inside out.

This new acrylic painting on canvas panel has a lot of depth thanks to a layer of craft tissue paper adhered with gel medium. The rough surface picked up color dry brushed over it for a unique, misty effect.

Sunday, November 09, 2008

Right now my blog is more text than art and that's a travesty! I'm working on that as we speak (have some WIP abstract canvas panels going). I'll keep this entry brief.

Have you guys seen this site yet? http://emptyeasel.com/ There are a ton of great articles, reviews of art sites and tutorials. I know, one more site to get sucked into, but this is great because it has so much helpful information for artists that want to sell online.

Saturday, November 08, 2008

Today was another day looking around the web for interesting art sites. I found a few that I put on the backburner because they have membership fees, but I discovered Artbreak today which is free to sign up and sell on (with a 7.5% commission rate). I think Boundless Gallery and others like it are designed with buyers in mind most importantly. There isn't much social networking potential, but that's ok, there will always be the Etsy forums for that!

But with my very brief experience now with Artbreak I like that it has a very interactive feel between the artists on the site. I'll be playing around on there for the next hour or so looking at all of the great art! Here is my page on Artbreak http://www.artbreak.com/JessicaTorrant. If you click on the bold artbreak logo in the top left it will take you to the home page. You may notice I have the same paintings I have on Boundless. I know it's against Etsy rules to post your listings elsewhere so that's been driven into me as a no-no. But looking into how other artists on BG are marketing their art, I saw the same paintings on multiple sites so I figured why not me too!? The odds of selling the same higher end painting in the same day are pretty low (working to change that!) and I'm online every day.

One more thing before I bounce back to Artbreak... Please come to my BG page and vote for me in the Black Friday contest! It's free and easy to sign up as a Customer. Here's the details...

The 2nd annual "Black Friday @ Boundless" contest is here, giving you the opportunity to support your favorite Boundless artists and win! 8 lucky artists will be featured on the Boundless homepage during the biggest shopping day of the year.

How to Play:• Sign In or Create an Account.•Vote for your favorite artist on their profile page before Friday, November 21st.•Visit Boundless on Black Friday, November 28th, and vote on the top 8.

Everyone who votes in both rounds will automatically be entered to win.

Friday, November 07, 2008

In 2005, while I was planning the Art 4 People Festival and selling almost exclusively on eBay, I was in touch with a fellow artist who encouraged me to check out a site dedicated to selling fine art called Boundless Gallery. At this point, I was taking my work seriously, but I wasn't sure others would at a higher set price. I was willing to let people decide my paintings' worth by bidding on eBay. I put Boundless Gallery on a "maybe someday" list and put it out of my mind. A year later I found Etsy and fell in love and I've been quite happy there for two years.

At some point this year I started to think about expanding outside of Etsy because let's face it - there are a LOT more artists there than when I started and I found my most consistent sales were for art up to $100, rarely over. I looked around the web for other art sites. Every search I did from "abstract painting" to "contemporary art" to "buy modern art" Boundless Gallery would pop up in searches. I looked into it again and felt really drawn to it thinking YES, now is a good time to take the plunge. When I showed Rob the site he got REALLY excited about it. He, like others in my orbit, have been so encouraging for me to keep raising the bar higher and higher - from my price range to scale to where I share my work. My whole summer plan was to clear my Etsy shop and include only my best of the best but that was a plan that had many holes in it. It just wasn't the right fit for Etsy. Still, the desire to raise the bar persisted, so I decided to give Boundless Gallery a go.

As for Etsy, I've not only removed my higher end items, I've also removed my prints because as popular as they could be, it just doesn't sit well with me in the spirit of handmade that makes Etsy so special. (I may start selling my prints on eBay eventually, but for now I'm taking a break). I'll be honing in on affordable originals for my Etsy shop and I've got lots of smaller canvases to work on in the coming days.

I've had this dream for over a decade of opening my own business. It would be open morning-late afternoon throughout the week, serving coffee and tea in the morning and lunch. I'd hire a local baker for breads, pastry and pies, and I'd make the lunches and it would be like coming to Ma's kitchen - you get two choices and they change every day. One with meat, one veg (maybe one vegan too). Just basics like good soups or stir frys all with locally grown food. Meanwhile, there's little tables and chairs around as well as sofas and coffee tables and the walls are covered in art. There would be one wall of bookshelves with our own used book collection available for our customers to peruse over their cup of soup and iced tea. On the weekends, we'd have night time events like acoustic open mic nights, poetry readings, art openings, etc.

I can visualize all of the things that would make this place extra fabulous and would attract local business and support but it all comes down to..... is that how I want to spend my days? And the answer is no. Painting is the only thing I can really see myself doing and WANTING to do day after day. Still, the vision of this alternate life is so sweet in theory (did I mention the organic garden out back, the canning and freezing at the end of the season, the local goat cheese? it goes on and on...). So maybe I need to shoot for making so much bank with my art that I can buy and operate the biz, come up with recipes, decor, etc - all the fun stuff - and leave the opening at 5 am, daily cooking, cleaning and accounting to my staff. Now THAT's sounding a little better!

Taking it to the next level, I would love to buy a two or three story old main st. victorian somewhere in this area (northern CT) or Western MA with enough land for gardens and a barn/studio out back. We would live in the upper stories, I would paint out back, and the business would be operated out of the first floor. That would allow for multiple rooms = more space to exhibit art and sell everything from clothes to jewelry to handmade toys (I'd be depending heavily on Etsy sellers!) as WELL as having the space for people to lounge and hang for a bit. The food part of it really doesn't even need to be there, it would mean a lot of extra work and permits, but it would attract more people to the space. Imagine someone on their lunch break - they could go get a fast food lunch that weighs them down and makes them ill, or they could come to my place to get healthy, fresh, homemade meal and check out some cool art while they are there or chat with other friendly locals. Good times!

Ah... I'm rambling, but Rob and I got talking about this dream again last night (it's a subject I've gone round and round with him and my best friend Emily too for years) and it always ends with "yeah, but I don't want to spend my days managing that business. I want to focus on art.". Then it hit me that as part of dreaming big, why NOT dream it exactly the way you want it? I can be the owner but I don't need to be present. I could hire some young artist to man the store while I'm working out back and I can check in when I come in for lunch and cover it when I have to. This is a mighty big dream but I guess I'm spelling it all out here to get it out of my head and into the universe. The first step is visualizing that anything is possible...

Thursday, November 06, 2008

Congratulations to our new President Barack Obama! No matter who you voted for, I am so proud of all Americans for getting out to vote and participate in such large numbers and with so much enthusiasm. There are many reasons why I am personally happy with the outcome of the election, but on a much larger scale I feel confident in positive changes ahead for all of us. I think this election has made any "under dog" feel like we can accomplish anything (minorities, women, people with disabilities, etc, etc). The energy in the air is optomistic, filled with hope and love and peace, beginning the place it needs to begin before it can happen in a physical way throughout the world - in our hearts.

Today is a new day and so will tomorrow and the next. I feel excited and inspired that we will keep this feeling afloat and carry it with us, step by step, day by day, changing the world for the better for generations to come. I want to leave my children and theirs a world that has clean air, land, rivers and oceans. I want to leave them a legacy of great success and change happening through forgiveness, diplomacy and non violent action rather than war. I'm going to keep dreaming big, for myself and for the world.

Monday, November 03, 2008

I've created a new section in my Etsy shop for my Mixed Bag Sets. What are they? Well, they are little groupings of some of my older works, put together because of some uniting connection - be it style or subject or medium. It's a great way for collectors on a budget to buy more than one of my paintings and I think they'd look great displayed all together or spread around your home or even given as gifts.

Saturday, November 01, 2008

Ok, so any time I need to go to a happy place I'll be returning to this post for a smile and maybe even a hearty laugh. This picture is just hilarious to me. My step kids have such huge personalities, I absolutely adore them. Meet the reeper and Chewbacca. Ready to take your candy, and maybe your life, but first take you on a journey through space with your own fuzzy friend.

We stopped at my parent's house before we went to Rob's parent's house. The oldest was feeling too old to dress up, and his gag leading up to the big day was "I'm going as the ghost of a fourteen year old boy". But at the last minute he asked if I wanted to paint his face and I jumped at the chance. He looks really ghoulish and it delighted my Dad that he decided to dress up afterall (see him pointing and smiling in the window). My Dad really hammed it up for them and my mom was so happy to see everyone all dressed up. She and I had some great times when I was a kid walking around with my best friend and her mom and the kids in her neighborhood. I have always loved this holiday. Maybe it's the theatrical bit in me - playing dress up - being able to get outside of your own self definition for a night. I remember being a professor, a hippy (would I get away with that Love Not War poster now? haha I wonder), an angel (which was a sewing project gone horribly wrong worn to school in junior high. Let's just say that was a day that I wanted to shrink my super tall self down to the size of a pea). Since Rob and the kids have come into my life, my love for the holiday is renewed in a new way. Love it.

I've started a new series I'm calling Composition. Once again, I'm freeing myself of the duty of titling each of my paintings, thus freeing them up to interpretation. I have three so far that are sort of a set within a series. I'm going to keep working in groups of threes in different color combinations.

Here are my latest paintings. I played with mixing mediums in these, using charcoal, watercolor and acrylic paint. They are small - all on 6.5" square pieces of archival watercolor paper. I have titled them by number, Landscape 1, Landscape 2, and so on, and the images below go in order from 1-6. I like taking a break from titles sometimes. It keeps all of the weight and significance in the visual art itself, no distractions or suggestions.

The painting above reminds me of the dunes on the Cape. It wasn't intentional, but now this is my favorite because of that connection (Rob and I have a beautiful history of trips in Cape Cod - from the early years when we were dating to our wedding and honeymoon).

This last one is very abstract but I see a view I don't get to see anymore. The land across the street from my parents used to be owned by a nursery (plants not kids! haha) and it was just open fields and meadows with little collections of various trees and shrubs that were home to many birds and other wildlife. I spent my childhood playing there and knew the land like the back of my hand. It is now mostly bulldozed and covered with tidy green lawns and what we call McMansions (they aren't all that big in comparison to some developments, but they certainly don't melt into the natural surroundings). They paved the road up to the end of the development and a loop road cuts back into the property. I recently took the drive and it was just so strange. I knew each location in my soul - that's where I went sledding by myself or with my dad, that's where I made out with my first boyfriend on a starry night, that's where I painted that painting for my grandmother when she was living with my parents in her last days. I've mostly gotten over the loss of that land, but it still stings. So, long story, but Landscape 6 reminds me of the colors in the meadow you could see all year round - purples and golds.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Monday, October 20, 2008

Here is my latest drawing digitally colored in Illustrator. I think it speaks to connecting to my feminine side a little more lately, at least in my heart and spirit. Also, it's about surrounding myself with the pure and beautiful elements of life. There is so much hate/war/ugliness in the world that sometimes I need to close my eyes and block it all out and only think of lovely things like sunshine and rainbows. You can call it avoidance, I call it survival!

Friday, October 17, 2008

Hey folks. I posted just last night about signing onto shophandmade.com. I only listed one painting for $60 and woke this morning to an email from a friend wondering what the price of the painting was because it said $0 - she wondered if it had sold. Optimistically, I checked to see if it had and discovered it didn't sell, but the price of $60 was still showing up with an X through it and this new price of $0 next to it. What? I emailed them about the problem and didn't get a clear answer, just an answer about another issue I asked about. Feeling frustrated with the whole ordeal, I emailed again to request them to delete my account. I got a response that that isn't possible. I have never experienced this with any other site I've worked with, and I've been on plenty. I couldn't delete my profile picture or my banner, but I replaced all of my shop info to just repeat LiveFunky.com. If I have to be on there, at least I can redirect people to my own site.

So I'm sorry if my previous post may have inspired anyone to sign up. I hate to think that I recommended something that I didn't really explore every aspect of. Lesson learned, and to those who are using the site, I hope that they work out their kinks and sales start pouring in for you all. As for me, this first impression was not a good one at all, and I doubt I'll be back. Well, maybe after a year and lots of other people's praise from personal experience, but not until then.

Monday, October 13, 2008

I had SUCH a great day today, hanging out in the studio with an old friend from home named Todd. He brought over a found object piece he had been working on for his daughter. This project is made up of all kinds of things, from scraps found in his father's shop, to found objects on hikes, to random hardware like door knobs and handles that his daughter loved to carry around in her tool chest (a chip off the old block, she is). Some wood pieces are carved, or drilled into as nifty pencil holders or containers for odds and ends. Todd brought his almost complete gift to my house for me to add my touches with paint. It turned out I was able to contribute a few other trinkets as well that I thought she would enjoy.

Now... I just have to say this. Some people wouldn't get it. It's not your usual girly dollhouse with a picket fence that daddy built or anything. But I absolutely love it. And the little girl in me does too. Being a quirky, natural scavenger myself as a little girl, I would have fallen in love with this wild playscape and added my own collection of various shaped and sized critters and found objects. Todd and I had some great conversations today as we worked, and I know he won't mind me sharing that some of those conversations included what it's like being quirky (which we both are) and how sometimes people can't really understand it. Like talking to ourselves, or bouncing between different projects at once when you get excited, or following your intuition rather than a map. There's room for all of us in this world, and when I think about my friend Todd, I thank God for people like him on this Earth. He is constantly meeting new people and befriending them wherever he goes, and he's a roamer. He has passionate and creative ideas and he pursues them right away, not in a rush, but not put on the list of "someday I will...". I've got more to share about Todd, but let me get to what we worked on today...

Todd and the project.

Top showing the shells and rocks and the painted pasture and stone path.

The pasture with little rocks I painted to be moved around. One with a cow on either side, another with a horse. Behind that is a little fairy tower that is removable (tada! fairy wand!) with painted flowery vines and a little ribbon with this fairy figurine I had hanging around among my collection of random items. The animal rocks (and any of her added animal friends, which I'm sure she has) can hang out in the pasture or get daring and jump the fence!

The tree is another removable dowel painted brown with real branches, a photo of Todd and his daughter and a porcelain bird figurine I got in a box of teabags on top. The wood piece with the red flower on it is also removable and it has slots for her tools, or a feather, or a pretty leaf - whatever new treasure she discovers that day.

The view from above - almost finished. The wood piece with the flower turned into a brick building with a window on the side with a cat in the window. (GAH! I wish I took more pictures! There are so many details!). I should add, those stones and shells are glued on and finished, so they have a cool shine, and the stones in the back wrap around like a stone wall. Todd stained most of the wood and I just added little touches of color. The green square on the bottom has another little fence around it, and the other one is more like a platform for a little box with hand carvings that I painted in two shades of green. I wish I had a picture of that too, but hopefully I'll get some updated pics when she gets it.

Here it is, finished for the most part. The blue dowel will be getting a curtain and he also has this funky fish sculpture thing that will go in there (seen in the first pic) and two other wood objects. I painted the dowel first in this subtle gradation from dark to lighter blue and continued that with other the other elements of trim.

Ok. I was introduced to the amazing music of Fela Kuti today. Here is a clip for your enjoyment.

I've got more to share about Todd and what he's up to, but I'll be saving that for tomorrow. Good night and peace.